[singlepic id=203 w=320 h=240 float=left]Far North Queensland’s roads are in for a safety boost with $3.41 million allocated to a range of measures over the coming year, Minister for Main Roads Craig Wallace said today.
Minister Wallace joined the Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt on the Gillies Highway today to announce the safety measures.
Mr Wallace said the funds were set aside in the recent state budget under the Safer Roads Sooner program.
“It’s all about road safety and channelling funding to where it’s needed the most, in this case the Gillies Highway,” Mr Wallace said.
“It’s about accident hot spots and it’s about doing everything we can to reduce the road toll. There are few things more important than road safety,” he said.
“Curtis has bent my ear on many occasions on the need to improve safety on the Gillies. I commend him for his strong support for safer roads in his electorate,” he said.
Mr Pitt said the Bligh Government had set aside $600,000 to boost safety for motorists on the Gillies Range, as part of a $2.7 million allocation for the range road over the next two years.
“Work will start this year on three, new initiatives to improve safety for motorists and motorcyclists on the range road.
“Guardrails will be installed at priority locations along the range. Yellow raised-reflective pavement markers will be installed along the centreline of the road to make is easier for drivers to see at night and in foggy and wet conditions,” he said.
“Line marking and signage at vehicle pullover areas will be standardised along the entire range, to improve safety for vehicles overtaking or pulling into and out of those areas.
Mr Pitt said the new measures would improve safety for locals and tourists who use the range to travel between Gordonvale and the Tablelands.
“They will be of particular benefit to motorcyclists who ride up and down the range on weekends,” he said.
“Not only are we building better roads and maintaining our existing ones we’re generating jobs for local road workers. Every $1 million spent on our roads creates around 8 jobs for workers in road construction and related industries,” Mr Pitt said.
“It’s about road safety and it’s about jobs. It doesn’t get much better than that,” he said.
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